


On thin ice

by myotishia



Series: Thin ice [13]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen, Other, gwen being a great big sister figure again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21783709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myotishia/pseuds/myotishia
Summary: Solomon makes the first move in his final showdown with Torchwood.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato
Series: Thin ice [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1465414
Kudos: 8





	1. Waking up

**Author's Note:**

> New reader? Start right [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551278)

An icy wind swept through the city, biting at the skin of the residents. Autumn had hit like a truck and the leaves on the trees had dried and fallen away in record time. Even the rift had calmed an unusual amount. It hadn’t been so quiet in years and it was slightly unnerving if everyone was being completely honest. Elise had returned to work but she was like a ghost of herself. She spent most of her time drifting between her workshop and her desk, trying not to be seen. Owen was trying his best to act as if everything was normal and Tosh had thrown herself into her work but the sadness was evident in her eyes. Ianto had tried to work past his guilt, especially as no one else blamed him, but it had been so difficult to talk about that he’d ended up just repressing it. Gwen was the only one still trying to get everyone to open up but it was near impossible. She took a deep breath and knocked on the workshop door. There was no warning sign so she could just walk in but it was only polite.

“Come in.” Elise called, hunched over her work table.

“How are you holding up?” 

“I’m fine.” 

Gwen looked around the room at the charts and pages upon pages of notes and calculations pinned to the notice boards. “Are you joining us for lunch today?”

“No. Sorry, I’m just a bit busy.”

“What are you working on?” 

“I deconstructed a Tenkith transport engine. I should have the SUV only needing to be refuelled once a month. It’ll be a lot cleaner too.”

“That’s great. You should get Tosh to give you a hand.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Elise, how long are you going to lock yourself away like this?”

The sound of metal dropping to the table filled the room. “They don’t need me around making them miserable. It’s bad enough at home.”

“They’re miserable because you won’t talk to them. They miss you. Ianto’s still beating himself up about everything. Owen spends all of his time alone in the autopsy bay and Tosh is one step away from just plugging herself into the computer. You and I both know how bad they all are about talking about their feelings. We’re just lucky the rift’s so quiet.”

“And why do you think that is?! What do you think I’m doing down here?!” She snapped, turning to show the black veins in her eyes. 

“You’ve been holding it closed? Elise it’s been over a month. This could be killing you.”

“It’s the only thing I can do to stop hating myself. My dad’s dead because of me! Same with my mum! People have died simply because I exist! The least I can do is hold back the sea of crap that falls through the rift.” Tears flooded down her face. 

Gwen pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do any of this. You’re just trying to live your life. Please don’t push everyone away. You’re not protecting them by doing that.”

“I’m so fucking tired.”

“I know.”

“I never wanted to hurt anyone and it feels like that’s all I ever do these days.”

“But you don’t have to. Please, just come and have lunch with us.”

She stepped back and rubbed her eyes. “Let me go take a shower. I must stink of oil.”

“Ok. I’ll be waiting so don’t take too long.”

Tosh, as per usual, was poking at her food, barely looking up. That was until she heard the boardroom door open. She sat up straight, noting everyone else already being there. 

“Mind if I join you?” Elise asked, peeking her head around the door shyly. Her hair was damp and her clothes were the fresh ones she had kept in her locker. 

Jacks face lit up, a spark of hope that the depressed miasma that had taken over was finally lifting. “You know you’re always welcome. What have you been working on?”

“I’ve nearly completed the upgrade for the SUV engine.” She said softly, sitting in her usual spot. “Um, Tosh? I could do with a hand with the installation tomorrow if you’re up for it.”

Tosh smiled brightly and nodded, this being the longest conversation they’d had in weeks. “Of course I’ll help. I want to see what you’ve put together.”

“You’re welcome to come and take a look this afternoon. The workshop’s a little messy because I haven’t taken my notes down in a while but the floor space is clear.”

“I’d like that.”

Lunch felt a lot more relaxed and back to normal. Afterwards Elise hung back as Ianto tidied up. 

“Tosh’ll be waiting for you. Is there anything you need?” He asked, not looking her in the eye.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“I’ve not exactly been the best person recently. I thought I was just keeping my drama to myself but it just ended up hurting everyone.”

He looked up, trying to read her. “You were grieving. I-”

“I don’t blame you for what happened. I don’t blame any of you. The only person I’m angry at is Solomon… And myself. I should have gone with you. I should have just tidied the bodies away without snooping. I should have been watching out for him.”

“It was Solomon that hit you?”

“Yea… He got pissed when he realised his plan couldn’t work and backhanded me. I just didn’t get up again.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself either.”

“My very existence here signed my families death warrant. How could I not?”

“You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t even ask to be here. What happened to your mother was just bad luck. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was bad luck, not fate.”

“And my dad? He was targeted to get to me. He was innocent. He didn’t even know I existed. He didn’t know why he was being attacked.”

“Most of the time that’s the same for any of us.”

“I just can’t move past it.”

“Yet. You can’t move past it yet. If anyone understands that, it’s me.” He closed the gap between them. “It took me so long to stop blaming myself for what happened to Lisa. And for a while I even blamed you, before I knew who you were and what was going on, but let it go. You realise that sometimes things happen. That there isn’t a force in this world that could stop it. It hurts and it eats away at you but eventually you accept it, you heal, you forgive.”

She sighed and looked him in the eye. “Thanks… I think I needed to hear that.”

“It’s ok. Now, go and talk to Owen. He’s not been himself.”

Owen couldn’t shake the feeling that his life was about to fall apart again. It was long overdue. He wondered if he’d made the most of the time while he was happy or not. 

“Are you busy?” Elise asked, already half way down the steps. 

“No.”

“Can we talk?”

“If you’re dumping me it’s a really shitty thing to do at work.” He said, keeping his back to her, his jaw clenched so hard he could hear his teeth grinding. 

Her eyes shot wide. “What?! What are you talking about?”

“I know how to take a hint. You’ve been sleeping in your music room. You barely even acknowledge me at work. I-”

“Owen! I thought by isolating myself I wouldn’t hurt anyone, I never meant to make you think I’d -... Christ. Did you really think I’d just do that?!”

“What was I meant to think?!” 

“That my head was all kinds of fucked up and I don’t know how to process any of it.”

“Then why didn’t you talk to us. To me?” He turned, eyes wet with tears. 

“I didn’t know how. I’ve been hating myself so much, I just didn’t want to push that on to anyone.” She looked down, ashamed. 

“I thought I was losing you.”

She ran over and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that.”

“Just never do that again.” He buried his face in her shoulder, pretending he wasn’t crying. 

“I won’t.” She breathed, holding back tears herself. After a while Owen pulled away and lifted her chin.

“Your eyes are darker than before.”

“They are? Maybe I’m just tired. It’s so hard to sleep alone.”

“Have you been using your powers?”

“I just wanted everyone to have some peace for a while. I even managed to perfect something.”

“Like what?”

She took a pen from his pocket and held it on her open palm. It disappeared, reappearing in the counter with a click. “They don’t come back automatically anymore. Only small things but it could be useful.” 

“You know, part of me didn’t believe it was you that caused the rift to play up before.”

“Wishful thinking?”

“A bit.”

“I just wasn’t in control. I’m a bit better now I’ve been practici-” She was cut off by a kiss.

He pulled away but kept a hand on the small of her back. “I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks.”

“I’ve completely forgotten what I was saying.” 

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yes… I kind of wish we could just grab Tosh and go home if I’m honest.”

“Four and a half hours. That’s just enough time to show her the engine.” 

“If you want me to go and do that, you kind of have to let me go.”

“One more minute… Maybe three.”

Andy didn’t like organising larger operations. Small busts were generally easy. The most you had to worry about were dogs and the occasional knife. This was different. This involved children and one wrong move could hurt someone innocent. When he’d got all the reports from distressed parents about the blatant, daylight abductions happening at the same time he’d considered calling Gwen, but he had no proof it wasn’t a child trafficking ring and very much terrestrial. He’d called in every officer he could and surrounded the house the children had been seen vanishing in to. Everyone was ready to get this done, the lock had been cut from the gate and there was nothing else to wait for. The moment one of his officers pushed open the gate the area lit up with flames. He could feel the intense heat and was blinded for a moment by the light. When he managed to blink away the flash he saw the smouldering ashes that had once been Garry. He’d been a kind lad, big but gentle and a father of three. The officers that hadn’t been caught in the blaze had taken cover, protecting those who had.

Andy ordered them to take their injured colleagues to the hospital and get away from the area. He was calling in an armed unit. Technically it was the truth.

“You sure you want to stay here alone sarge?” Another of his officers asked, wild eyed and terrified. 

“I’ll be ok. I’m going nowhere near that gate. Go.”

“Thanks for talking to her. I was so worried she was upset with me or I was doing something to push her away.” Said Tosh as she paused next to Gwens desk.

“I don’t mind. You’ve all looked so depressed and I thought it could help.”

“She’s been sleeping in her music room and I thought maybe… No, it’s silly.”

“She still loves you. She’s probably been sleeping alone so no one saw her keeping the rift quiet.”

“What?”

Gwens phone began singing its usual ringtone, interrupting them. “Andy?” She hit the answer button. “Everything ok?”

“No. I need you all to get here.”

“Wait, why? Slow down. What’s going on?”

“We were raiding a house where this group of kids has been taken to. We got through the gate then… Garry burst into flames. Nothing even touched him but he’s ashes Gwen. That’s all that’s left!”

“Ok, tell me the address and stay calm.”

“Gwen I… Shit someone’s coming out.”

“Andy?”

“Sir, stay where you are!”

“Andy! Run!”

The call dropped suddenly.

When Andy regained consciousness, his head pounding, he realised he was tied to a chair. His protective gear had been removed and was folded neatly on the table next to him. From what he could tell he was in a dining room, the large windows covered with heavy drapes and the long oak table was surrounded by many chairs. He blinked away the slight blurriness in his vision and met the eyes of a well dressed gentleman.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good.” The man said, his breath smelling like burned fireworks and having much the same temperature. “My apologies for the violent reaction but you and your little friends did try and break in to my property.”

“The kids… Where are they? What have you done to them?”

“They’re perfectly fine, for now at least. They’re upstairs being cared for by one of my pets. Humans can be so adorable. They’ll adopt the young of any species but they have a special place in their hearts for human young. That is how you keep your race thriving I suppose.”

“So, you’re not human.”

“Oh, of course not. I suppose it’s natural for you to think so though. After all your race can hardly leave your own tiny little planet let alone comprehend the complexities of my being.” 

“What did you bring me in here for?”

Solomon smiled. “Excellent question. You were contacting Torchwood out there, were you not?”

Andy kept his mouth closed. He’d promised to keep his dealings with Torchwood secret and he was going to keep to it. 

“It’s ok, I know you were. I just want you to give them a message when they inevitably arrive.”

“What message?”

Solomons grin seemed to spread much further than it should, showing too many teeth. “Simple, I want to speak to them face to face. I’ll allow them to walk up to the house unharmed. If they refuse I’m going to start killing those children. If they try and attack me or any of my pets or young then the children will die. Understood?”

The police officer nodded, knowing he had no other option.

“Good boy. Oh and to prove I’m serious…” Like lightning he stabbed the captive man in the side, a crimson stain blossoming through his white shirt. “You won’t bleed to death before you speak with them.”

Jack put his foot down, knowing there was no time to waste.

“Do we know how we’re even going to bring this thing down?” Asked Owen, knowing he could very easily be heading directly to his death. 

“Remember I asked you to try and get any dna sample you could from the daemon spawns at the hospital?”

Gwen looked up. “Didn’t they spontaneously combust?” 

“The bodies did but the saliva they left on the surgeons didn’t. It was close enough to Solomons to use as a DNA targeting system for what’s in the box I gave to Elise.”

“What is it?”

“Something I built with the last vortex manipulator we had stored. When it goes off it should throw him through time. Propel him far enough to hit the end with no way back.”

Tosh looked surprised. “You never said anything about that.”

“I needed something to do while the hub was so silent. It was partially Iantos idea.”

“That’s brilliant. How are we going to get it attached?”

“Leave that to me.”

The SUV skidded to a halt and everyone jumped out. Gwen ran over to Andys car, finding it empty and his phone smashed on the floor. 

“Andy?” She called, just in case he’d escaped whatever had happened. No reply. She turned to the open gate in time to see Jack catch Andy before he fell. Her friend held his side, shaking and barely able to hold himself up. Owen was immediately at his other side, shocked the man could walk at all with the amount of blood that had soaked into his clothes. 

“I’m going to need you to move your hand.” The doctor said, trying to examine the puncture wound. It was deep and though it didn’t look like it had hit anything vital it was bleeding like a bitch. 

Andy gritted his teeth, his skin covered in a thin layer of sweat. “A message.”

“Eh?”

“He wants you to talk to him… If you don’t or you attack… He’ll kill the kids he has in there.”

Owen glanced at Jack who had settled into his barely readable, icy, visage. 

“Just leave it to us, yea?” Gwen held Andys hand, trying to offer some comfort to him. 

“I didn’t tell him anything.”

“I know sweetheart. It’s ok. You scared the living daylights out of me on the phone.”

“Sorry… I’ll try not to get knocked out next time.”

“We should get you to a hospital.”

“No, you don’t have time… Don’t worry about me.”

“If you won’t go to the hospital you can wait in your car.” Owen interjected.

Gwen glared at him. “What?”

“I can set up getting some blood back into him now I’ve patched up the leak. He can’t drive so he’s not going anywhere.”

The painkillers were starting to kick in and the officer, feeling a little more mobile, agreed with the idea. “You carry blood bags with you?”

“Among other things, yea. Jack, can you move him to the car?”

Andy couldn’t help but think that Jack Harkness was a lot stronger than he looked, and he looked pretty strong to start with. He didn’t seem the type to go to the gym and spend hours lifting weights but he lifted the officer as if he was nothing. At least he could worry a bit less about putting on weight. He found the scent of his car comforting as he was placed in the surprisingly comfortable seat, not even really registering Owen putting the line in his arm. 

“Right, this-” Owen wrapped a monitor around Andys wrist. “Is going to keep track of your vitals. Don’t take it off until I get back. Any large drops it’ll send me a warning so sit there, don’t move and don’t touch anything.” He stepped back and looked over at the gate. “Looks like it’s time to go in.”

Solomon sat in his wing-back chair, his feet up on a stool, fingers crossed neatly in front of him. People sat around the room in a daze, dreamy smiles on their faces, silent and passive. It was disturbing to say the least. 

“Come in, come in. I’ve been awaiting your arrival.” He beamed, malice radiating from his bright green eyes. “How are you Elise. The last time we met you were going through some emotional issues.”

She glared, knowing there was nothing she could do. 

“No, I know what I did was petty and childish but you did throw me off a building. That was a very unpleasant experience I’ll have you know.”

“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Now that’s the spirit. I was starting to worry that I’d killed that fire in your eyes. I have enough mindless pets, if I’m going to spend eternity with you I at least want some kind of entertainment out of it.”

“You wish.”

“Come now, you know I’ve made sure there’s nothing you can do. Unless you wish to forfeit the young ones lives, of course.”

“What is it you really want?” Jack growled.

“Right to the point. Understandable. I can’t have that vessel. That much I have accepted, but why should I do all the work when I can simply get Elise to do it for me? Speaking of, take the good Captain and his team down to the cellar. Do not harm them unless I say so.”

The previously passive people stood and grabbed the team, dragging them away. There was no point in resisting as these people were much stronger than they should be as they didn’t seem to register pain. That and there were still children in danger. Strangely, Solomons people left them armed, not even searching them. The cellar was illuminated by a single light and had been fitted with twisted metal bars. One of the fleshy, dog like, creatures sat in front of the door as a guard. Owen pulled his arms free in a temper, not lashing out but very much showing that in any other situation he’d be beating them half to death. 

“We walked right in to this.” Tosh said softly. 

Gwen rubbed her shoulder. “We’ll work it out. We just have to be careful for now.”

“Do you think she’ll be ok up there? She’s been so fragile.”

“She’ll be fine.”

Tosh didn’t look convinced in any way, shape, or form.

“We can’t just sit here! Jack, for fucks sake stop playing with that thing!” Owen shouted, watching Jack pet the dog creature on the head.

Not looking up Jack replied calmly. “A dog is a dog. Calm down Owen.”

“How am I meant to calm down?!”

The creature, unbothered by the noise, wagged its stump of a tail and licked at Jacks hand. Only moments later it began staggering as if drunk before falling over. “That should put it out for a couple of hours. Now we’re not being watched we can see about getting out of here.” He rubbed his hand with a handkerchief, soaking up the mix of daemon dog drool and plasma so the skin of his hand could grow back. 

“What did you give it?” Asked Gwen, tentatively. 

“Just a mild sedative mixed with a little DMT. Ianto, did you bring the plan of the house?”

Ianto took a folded piece of paper from inside his jacket. “Of course sir.” He spread it out across the floor under the single light. It showed a detailed map of the building that Jack had put together from the original blueprints mixed with what he’d seen the night they’d checked on the place.

“Going on his confidence in his plan he’d probably keeping the kids locked in the guest bedroom with a single guard. If we can get them to safety then we’ll be his only leverage. Taking a route through the house could be too risky so who’s up for climbing up the trellis here?”

Gwen raised her hand. “I’ll do it. They’ll already be terrified and, no offence, but me crawling in through the window is going to be a lot less intimidating than you. How many of them are there?”

“Six. Between the ages of five and twelve. Four boys and two girls.” Said Tosh.

“The youngest aren’t going to be able to climb down.”

Ianto looked up from the map. “I’ll come with you. I can catch them if they fall and keep watch. While you’re up there.”

“I can’t see a way to get out.”

“Here. The coal shed is directly above the cellar. There used to be a staircase but it was knocked out in the eighties. It was covered by a trap door.”

“Sounds like our only option. Let’s get going.”

“Elise, take a seat.” Solomon asked, though it sounded much more like a demand as he made flames dance around his fingers. She perched on the edge of the sofa uncomfortably.

“Get to the point.”

“Fine, I was trying to be polite but if we must.” He flicked his hand and the flames went out. “I want you to open the rift to allow my army through. That is simple enough for you.”

“I don’t think I’m capable of holding it open long enough for a whole army. The most I’ve transported is a single TARDIS and that knocked me out. Even if I wanted to do as you’re asking I couldn’t. I’d be dead before you even got a small squad.”

“I can wait. Though there is a second option.”

“What?”

“You could be my bride. Our children would be more powerful than anything either of our worlds have ever experienced.”

“No.” She spat with more disgust than she’d intended. 

“I’d let you keep your two pets. I might even be convinced to let you keep all of them.”

“They aren’t pets and I will not be getting close enough to you to get pregnant. I’d rather die.” 

“Then we’ll begin with our first option and see how far we get.”

“So I’m here, let the children go.”

“That was never part of the deal. Take her to the master bedroom. I need to make some arrangements.”

A tall, bulky, man grabbed her arm and dragged her upstairs. He barely looked at her as he walked, looking as if he was in a daze. Once in the room he grabbed a metal collar attached to a long chain and locked it around her neck, using it to keep her still while he took her weapons and boots, before leaving. The other end of the chain was bolted to the wall. It seemed long enough to reach the bathroom and at least look out of the window. She couldn’t teleport with the collar on and if he found out he’d most likely kill someone. Out of options she sat in the corner and hugged her knees, hoping she’d be rescued before Solomon got any ideas. 

Jack took a second look at the floor plan after helping Ianto and Gwen through the trap door. 

“What should we do in the meantime?” Asked Tosh, holding Owens hand to stop him pacing in frustration. 

“We need to limit his little troupe so it doesn’t turn into a massacre when we can make a move. He’ll notice if any of them die but he won’t notice if they’re knocked out. Otherwise we’d have other guards swarming down here now the dog’s asleep.”

“Sedate them and hide them one by one?”

“It’s slow and annoying but it’s our best chance at getting close to Solomon without him realising anything’s wrong.”

“Where do we start?” Asked Owen.

“We start by picking the lock to our little prison.” 


	2. The surface shatters

Gwen hoped the trellis would hold her weight. It looked old but it was bolted to the wall so it could go either way. Making sure her boot was securely in place she began the climb. The wood creaked quietly with each movement. She listened carefully as she reached the windowsill, risking a peek inside. The children were huddled together, the eldest boy at the door, looking through the keyhole. She knocked on the window lightly and mimed for them to stay quiet but open the window. A little girl, around the age of ten, approached and quietly unlatched the window. 

“We’re here to rescue you but you’ve got to be really quiet, ok?” Gwen said softly.

The girl chewed on her thumbnail. “How are we going to get down?”

“We’re all going to climb down the trellis here.”

“But we could fall.”

“My friend Ianto’s waiting at the bottom to catch you if you fall. We need to hurry.”

The boy who’d been at the door rushed over and looked down. “I’ll go first.”

Gwen helped the boy climb out of the window and onto the trellis, making sure he had a good grip before she let go of him. The girl was rounding up the other kids and lifted the smallest, a boy in a red t shirt that must have been the five year old, up to the window. Gwen grabbed the back of his shirt and wrapped it around her hand so it could act like a harness. Once she had a good grip she lowered him down and let go, Ianto waiting to catch him. Turning back the girl was encouraging each child to clamber up, assuring them it would be ok. One by one the kids descended to the garden, finally leaving only the ten year old. She looked more terrified of climbing out that being trapped in the room.

“I promise I won’t let you fall but we have to go now.” Gwen urged, eyes darting to the door. The girl sat on the windowsill and, with shaking hands, tried to turn herself around. Her foot slipped and Gwen grabbed the back of her shirt before she fell. Slowly they both made it down and the little girl clung to the woman. Gwen gave her a tight hug.

“It’s ok. You’re doing great.”

Ianto pointed to a pathway leading towards the drive and the main gate. “Line up everyone. You have to hold on to each other, yea? No one gets left behind.” 

Most of them did as he said but the five year old stood shaking, small snuffles coming from him every so often. 

Ianto crouched in front of the boy. “I know this is very scary but you’ll be able to go home soon, ok? What’s your name?”

“Sam.” The boy sniffled.

“Ok Sam, I’m Ianto and this is Gwen. Do you want me to carry you?”

Sam nodded and opened his arms to be picked up. Ianto carried the boy on his hip, making it very clear that this wasn’t the first time he’d babysat a small child. He took the lead and Gwen stayed at the end of the line as they moved carefully, trying to keep out of sight. The evergreen trees on the property offered some cover but it was avoiding being seen by the residents that was difficult. Sam pointed to a woman walking in their direction, giving Ianto a chance to get everyone to hide. They waited for the woman to be long out of sight before moving again. 

“Good job.” Ianto said softly, getting a smile from the boy.

“I’m good at spotting birds with granda.”

“That’s great. Keep watch for more people, ok?”

“Kay.”

Gwen couldn’t help but smile at how calm Sam was and knew that as Anwen grew up she’d always have someone reliable to stay with in an emergency. 

The gate was finally close and as the coast was clear they made a run for it. Andy jumped as he heard a knock on his window. Gwen pulled open the door. 

“We got the kids out but we need to get them away from here.” She said.

“I’ll call in someone to pick them up and take them to the hospital to meet with their parents. I don’t know how you pulled this off but thank you.”

“You can thank me when this is all over. Me and Ianto have to go back, are you well enough to watch this lot?” 

He nodded, taking down the empty blood bag. “Whatever that is in there, bring yourself back safe, yea?”

“That’s the plan.”

Jack really didn’t feel right about dragging the now unconscious, pregnant, woman into the kitchen to hide her in the pantry. He very much doubted that was a human baby but the whole thing made him feel fundamentally wrong. He had to remind himself that as much as these people were technically helping Solomon against their will they were still very dangerous. He gestured for Owen to go on ahead as he closed the pantry door and placed a chair under the handle to jam it closed. Owen kept low and quiet as he made his way into the dining room, ducking down behind the table as he heard footsteps approaching. A tall man walked past and was about to turn towards the kitchen when Owen sprang up, one hand clasped over the mans mouth and the other pressing the injector to his neck. The man barely struggled before falling limp. These people were so far off in dreamland they didn’t seem to register the world around them. Good for the team, not so good for their survival prospects. Tosh joined owen to help him drag the man under the table to keep him hidden. 

“How many people are meant to be in here?” She breathed. 

Owen shrugged and looked over at Jack in the doorway, mouthing the question. Jack held up both hands with fingers splayed. Tosh sighed. That meant there were still six people left wandering around. Every time she heard footsteps her heart leapt into her throat and she hated that feeling. The sound of two people sleepily chatting in the living room pulled their attention. This could be a huge problem as if you took one out the other was sure to notice. Jack moved to join Owen and Tosh. “This is going to be a pain.”

“Can we maybe lure one out?” She asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t think they’d even react to a normal distraction. It’s like they’re all sleepwalking.”

Gwens voice floated over coms. “The kids are safe. Andy’s keeping an eye on them until they can be transported to the hospital to meet up with their parents.”

“That’s exactly the kind of news I needed to hear. We haven’t found Solomon so keep on your guard.”

“Any sign of Elise?”

“Not yet. She’s probably being held upstairs.”

“Keep us posted.”

“Will do.” He looked back at Tosh who was tapping on her PDA. “Ideas?”

She didn’t turn from what she was doing. “There’s a computer with a webcam in the next room. I should be able to access it through the wifi network so we can see exactly what we’re dealing with…. Here.” She turned the PDA to show the live feed from the next room. Both people were facing away from the door which was great but the flesh dog on the floor wasn’t such a welcome sight. Owen thought for a moment before creeping off to the kitchen, returning with a couple of slices of ham.

“Is now the time for snacking?”

The doctor rolled his eyes as he wrapped a small pill in the ham. “Like you said, a dog’s a dog.” 

The beast had already caught the scent of food and was plodding towards the doorway, drooling. As soon as it saw the treat it gobbled it down, taking a chunk of carpet too. As soon as it was finished it returned to its spot on the rug and curled up. The next bit would be easy.

Elise followed the chain back to where it was bolted to the wall and wrapped it around her left arm. She’d heard Gwens message and it meant she could start working out a way to get the hell out. Using the leverage given by her metal arm against the wall she slowly pried the screws from the plaster. The long chain would be bulky to carry but at least it wasn’t tethered to anything anymore. Looking through the keyhole she could see the guy who’d manhandled her into the room guarding the door. She needed to get her weapons back and he was the one who most likely had them. Time to pull the old damsel in distress routine. She hid behind the door. 

“Help.” She cried, playing it up an almost embarrassing amount. “Oh god it hurts!”

The lock clicked open and the man entered. She wrapped the chain around his throat and held on for dear life as he tried to escape before oxygen deprivation knocked him out. She took the keys, her gun and her knives back but couldn’t see where her boots had been put. She’d have to worry about that later. She dragged the unconscious guard into the bathroom and pushed him into the bathtub, using the shower curtain to tie him up. Stepping into the hallway she quietly closed the door and locked it behind her. Each of the doors down the hallways looked the same. They all had keyholes she could spy through though. The next room along looked like a bedroom but it was filled with small bundles of blankets, on top of each one there was an implike creature sleeping. It was a daemon nursery. She wasn’t going to touch that with a ten foot barge pole, so she made sure the door was locked before moving on. She cut the chain with her blade as close as she could to her neck without burning herself and quietly wound it up, leaving it behind a potted plant. Quiet footsteps ascending the stairs warned her that someone was coming. She tried her best to hide behind the large potted plant, peeking through the foliage. 

Owen slowly made his way up the stairs, very careful to listen for anyone else in the upper hallway. He’d heard someone but then the sound of a lock and not much else after that. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a silver hand waving at him from behind a large potted plant. Elise moved round, her footsteps almost silent as she was only wearing socks on her feet. 

“Did he hurt you?” Owen asked, reaching out for the strip of metal wrapped around her neck. 

“No. I’m fine. Did he hurt you?”

“No… We’ve been knocking out his little friends.”

“Like the guy who was guarding my room. He’s tied up in the bath.”

“Good idea taking off your boots.”

“That wasn’t me, but you’re right. How many people are left?”

“Three.”

“Not bad. There is a room full of imps up here but I locked the door.”

“We can deal with them later. We’ve seen no sign of Solomon.”

“He said he had some arrangements to make before I was dragged off. Probably contacting his army.”

“We still have time to knock out the last three before he gets back then. Maybe we can find a key for that collar.”

“I have all the door keys but they’re all too big for this lock. I can deal with it when I get back. Come on, it’s not a good idea to be hanging out on the stairs.”

“Then shift out of the way.” He smiled, stepping up to join her.

Gwen and Ianto had walked around the perimeter of the property as not to risk being spotted from the front. From their vantage point near the back gates they could see someone standing on a structure that reached out over the pond. 

“What’s he doing?” Gwen mused.

“It looks like he’s building that platform out to the centre of the pond. It looks frozen.”

“I thought he worked with fire.”

“All of that heat has to come from somewhere.” 

“I’ll send a picture to the others. I don’t think we’ll be able to get past without being spotted.”

“He won’t be there forever. We can get over there once he’s done.” 

Gwen took the photo with her phone and hunkered down so she was definitely out of sight to send it. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”

“Same here… I don’t think we’ll get another chance like this.”

“No pressure then.”

Owen dragged the last of Solomons puppets to a corner and out of the way. 

“There’s only one thing left to deal with.” Jack said, looking out of the window. “Elise, you should wait in the SUV.”

Elise took a double take at what she’d just been told. “What? No. I’ll never get another chance to face that bastard down. I’m sick of hiding. I’ve spent the last month hiding in my own head. I need this.”

“Elise.”

“Please. This is the only chance at closure I’m going to get.”

He sighed deeply. “I shouldn’t let you. I should make sure you never get anywhere near that monster… But I can’t stop you, can I?”

“Look, if you honestly think that it would be best then I’ll walk away right now… But I need to know that you’re sure, because if there’s even a single flicker of a doubt and I don’t get to face him... “

“Fine. But if this goes wrong-”

“Then it’s on me. I know.”

“We should probably find you some shoes first.”

She looked down and for the first time in quite a while she laughed. She was about to face a literal monster and she was standing there in her hello kitty socks because her boots got taken. Of all days why had she chosen her hello kitty socks. 

Tosh squeezed her hand softly. “I think I saw some boots left under the window in the hallway.”

Solomon was pleased with the platform he’d made to welcome his highest generals. It was only proper to welcome them politely. He turned to descend and collect the key to the rift pathway when he saw people walking towards him. 

“How did they get out?” He growled to himself. Straightening his jacket he stood at the top of the incline. “Well done. Colour me impressed with your performance, but you realise what this means now. I would have thought you would have been a little more concerned with the lives of the human young I have captive.”

Jack smiled. “We would be, if they hadn’t been set free a while ago.”

“What?! How?!”

“Your guards aren’t exactly the smartest people in the world.”

The daemon clenched his fists. “Maybe not but they’re unflinchingly loyal.” He looked to the house, telepathically calling his followers but getting no answer.

“Yea, they’re taking a nap.”

He roared in frustration and the ground shook, cracks forming across the surface of the frozen pond. In the blink of an eye he shot forward and dragged Elise by the collar to the top of the ramp. “You. This is your fault!”

She could smell the ash on his breath and crumpled her nose in disgust. “No, that was all on you. It’s funny.”

“What is?!” He hissed.

“You called yourself Solomon. That worked out so well for you last time. I mean he walks in and you run away like a coward because he was pissed off at you. This must be like history repeating itself for you.”

“You are no king.”

“No, but this is my world and you’re not welcome.” She smirked. 

He’d been so engrossed in her mocking him he hadn’t noticed Jack get so close. He threw her down and onto the ice with a loud crunch, turning his attention to the captain. He grabbed Jacks wrist and took the device from between his fingers, throwing it into the trees. Jack gritted his teeth, feeling the bones in his wrist fracture under the pressure of the daemons grip. 

“You couldn’t just stay out of my way! Couldn’t just keep your nose out of what doesn’t involve you!” Solomon rasped, lifting him up by the crushed limb. “I swear this planet will suffer!”

Owen and Tosh had run round to the rocks at the side of the pond to pull Elise off the ice carefully as the surface was breaking apart. They managed to pull her up onto the rocks before the chunk of ice she’d been gripped on to sank into the water. 

“Did you see where the time device went?” Eli asked, slightly winded.

Tosh nodded and sprinted off into the trees. Owen helped Elise up but held her arm as she tried to move away. 

“Where are you going?”

“I need to keep Solomon busy. Help Tosh.”

He hated the idea but there was no time to argue. Elise clambered back up onto the platform, watching Solomon raise his hand, glowing a toxic green. Jack kicked and fought to get away, feeling a deep and primal fear overtaking him. Whatever this thing was about to do he couldn’t let it happen. As that corrupting glow got closer he closed his eyes but it stopped and he felt his shattered wrist released. When he dared to look he saw Elise holding the daemons, the acrid green light twisting and writhing around her arms. 

“Run. Help the others find the thing!” She shouted through gritted teeth.

He wanted to help but that light had frozen him in place, curled around his shattered arm. In the trees the rest of the team were desperately trying to find the time shifting device. Ianto saw the light glinting off something hidden just under a bundle of pine needles. He reached out and grabbed it.

“Got it.” He said as he ran back towards the pond. Owen followed, overtaking him enough to get to the platform and haul himself up. Ianto threw it to him and he jammed it into Solomons spine. The daemon screeched before disappearing in a flash of golden light. Elise dropped like a rock, the palm of her right hand looking scorched. Owen caught her before she hit the floor. The platform below them began to crack, the surface feeling more and more like sand than the stone it had been only moments before. 

“Come on!” Jack called, moving towards the incline and away from the freezing pond. 

Elise could barely feel anything below her neck. “Go. It’s ok.”

Owen frowned deeply at the idea of leaving her behind to save himself and pulled her into his arms. His feet sunk deep into the sand as he moved away from the edge, each step feeling like it took forever. Ianto climbed half way up and offered his hand to help, Owen took it letting himself be dragged further away from the crumbling platform. A loud splash heralded the fall of the furthest part of the platform where they’d been fighting with Solomon. Tosh and Gwen had formed a chain to pull their colleagues the rest of the way with Ianto and by the time the platform had fully collapsed they were on solid ground. The air had warmed slightly already as they all sat on the grass.

“You still with us?” Asked Owen, his arm still wrapped around his girlfriend. Elise smiled and nodded, exhausted. 

Jack watched her, wide eyed. “How did you do that? How did you put yourself through that for so long?” 

She shrugged. “My head is full of squirming right now.” Her voice was soft and slurred. 

“Might want to ask her questions when she’s recovered, eh?” Said Owen. “How’s your arm?”

Jack looked down, still unable to move his fingers and trying to ignore the pain. “Still got a while before I can move it again… Should be fine by the time we’ve dealt with everything left in the house.”

“Can’t help with that. I’ve got to take care of this one.”

“You can bring her inside with you.”

Two hours of explaining to those who could just go home that they’d been kidnapped but were now free to leave, and having to singularity scalpel away more than one unwanted demonic pregnancy, made only having the imps and dogs left to deal with sound almost like a break. 

Jack flexed his fingers, the feeling returning to them. “That could have gone better.”

“It could have gone a lot worse.” Ianto said as he placed down another tank with a sleeping imp inside, along with a toxic little pill that crumbled before turning into a gas, humanely putting the creature down. 

“I guess.” 

“You’d usually be celebrating an outcome like this.”

“I just keep running everything that happened over in my head and wonder if I could have done things differently.”

“Does it matter? It’s over. We can finally relax. You should be happy.” A loud pop announced the imp bursting into flames, the tank making sure it could burn itself out without damaging everything else. 

“When Elise is back and talking sense then I will be.”

“You’re worried what happened to the museum guards will happen to her.”

“Maybe.”

“She was smiling and could form a semi coherent sentence so I think she’ll be ok. Maybe she dampened the effect somehow.”

“I hope so.”

He placed a hand on Jacks arm reassuringly.”

“I couldn’t move. I wanted to help but… It’s been a long time since I’ve felt fear like that. I guess I’m just shaken.” 

“Why don’t you go and check on her. She’s in the living room. It might make you feel better.”

“I can’t leave you to deal with this alone.”

He rolled his eyes and walked to the open door, leaning out to see Tosh double checking the other rooms for any possible stragglers. “Any chance you could give me a hand in here?”

“Oh, sure.” She looked up and smiled softly. 

“See? I’m not doing this alone now.”

Jack smirked. “You’re getting sassy.”

“Me? Of course not. You must be thinking of someone else.” 

He felt a little better. It was a skill Ianto had. His sass always made Jack smile no matter the situation. He wandered downstairs and peeked into the living room. 

“How is she?” He asked softly. 

Owen turned, looking tired but not troubled as he sat on the floor in front of the sofa where Elise was sleeping. “She’ll be ok. She’s exhausted but her cognitive function seems like it’s back to normal. She kept his hands away from her head so she didn’t take the brunt of it. Her hand’s going to be a bit sore from the light burn it gave her but nothing too bad. That and the muscle ache from wrestling that thing.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t crush her hands.”

“I was too until I examined her hand. It was like stone. All the unlit cells she has had rushed to her hands and made sure he couldn’t. They’ve almost all dissipated but you can still see the discolouration under her nails.”

“That’s good.”

“And worrying.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything but yea.”

“That’s something to deal with tomorrow. How’s the cleanup going?”

“There are only about ten or so imps left. After that it’s just about making sure the people who were here don’t remember anything. With how many imps there are I wonder if there are people buried out in the garden.”

“If you want to dig the whole place up knock yourself out.”

“We can get the police to do that for us. By the time they get around to digging them up they won’t be able to tell much… Where’s Gwen?”

“She’s outside talking to Andy on the phone. Apparently the signal’s crap in here.”

Elise whimpered quietly in her sleep. 

Jack smiled sympathetically. “If you need to take her home go ahead, we can finish up here.” 

“Naa. It’s ok. She does that every few minutes. She’s just checking I’m still here.”

Gwen had just ended the call, relieved that Andy was going to be fine and the kids were all back with their parents. The evening air smelled like frost and bit at her skin but at least it was dry. The sky was clear and had a grey look to it.

“How is he?” Asked Jack, looking out over the garden.

She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. “Stop doing that. Andy’s fine and the kids are home safe. I’ll be back in in a sec.”

“We’re nearly done anyway. Just a few more imps to put down and then we can all go home.” 

“It’s going to be a cold night and I don’t know about you but I’m starving.”

He chuckled. “Yea, I could go for something right now.”

“You best mean food.”

“For once, yea.” He looked up to the clear sky and swore he could see more stars than usual peeking from the darkness. 


End file.
